Posted by Rochester, New York has always been known for its brutal winters. The Flower City, ironically, receives approximately 100 inches of snow per year, with temperatures frequently dropping into the single digits… and worse. For at least a third of the year, the possibility of commuting by sustainable transportation is greatly hindered, if not impossible. The trails I take on my bike ride to work aren’t plowed, and moving to the streets means the possibility of hitting that slush or ice patch on the side of the road and wiping out in front of traffic.
This winter, I finally bit the bullet and had some work done on my car. I had an ailing muffler, rear brakes worn down to the bone, and other issues that made driving my car less than enjoyable. With my tiny Nissan Versa Note back in tip-top shape, I had a warm, quick and safe way to get to work this past winter.
But it didn’t stop there. Even as the weather has warmed, I have found myself reaching for the car keys instead of the bike helmet far more often as I head for work in the morning. I truly enjoy my bike rides to and from work, but I also enjoy sleeping in a couple more minutes, not having to drag my bike out of the storage unit and upstairs, not having to pack a lunch every day because I won’t be able to go out to lunch in enough time, and of course, bringing a change of clothes that don’t wrinkle in my bag on a hot day.
There are a lot of things to think about in the morning when you commute using methods other than driving. Driving isn’t just faster, it also affords us the privilege to not have to think about what to wear, what to bring, etc. In a world where we are all trying to stay afloat, minimizing the variables of our commutes is an attractive, and I will go one step further and say addictive option.
There is anxiety in getting to the bus stop on time. There is anxiety in wondering if winter ice will cause my bike to crash, or if the summer sun will make me a sweaty, smelly mess when you arrive at work. Commuting sustainably is hard, and it’s very easy to fall into the default of driving, as it is our society’s chosen and prioritized form of mobility.
Driving is an addiction, and it’s one that I completely understand and often succumb to, even though my commute is only 3.6 miles. In a time when so many of us have reached maximum capacity in our brains, making the harder choice of sustainable mobility is even more difficult.
Hang in there. Be strong. Make the hard choice. Set your clothes out the night before. Make sure your lunch is prepared so that you can just take it out of the refrigerator in the morning and go. Buy an ebike if you can to minimize the sweat factor. In the winter, go to bed earlier so that you can catch the bus on time. We can do it. It’s a harder life, but it’s a better one. Stay strong and fight the addiction the is the box on 4 wheels.
***I am an urbanist influencer and do not have a formal degree in urban planning. While I am deeply passionate about urban design, trends, issues and topics, I believe in this time of undisciplined media to be honest and transparent regarding my lack of any kind of formal journalism or urban planning education. I still believe in my ability to present my viewpoints on interesting topics, but I fully admit that I have not been trained in the higher-educational rigors of expertise on such perspectives. My goal is to challenge people to think differently, not to be the the cited source of unquestionable truth. This footer will now accompany every Urban Phoenix piece, and I am proud to offer this transparency in a time when opinion is often coveted over rigorously-tested fact.***